Extension shoe for ladder legs



Aug. 8, 1950 v.- DE SIEFANO EXTENSION SHOE FOR LADDER ms 2- Sheets-Sheet1- Fled May l, 1943 INVENTOR VINCENT DE STef-nmo ATTORNEY v. DE STEFANOEXTENSION sHoE FoR LADDER LEGS Aug. `8, 11950 2 Sheets-sheet E Filed Mayl, 1948 INVENTOR VINCENT DE STEFANO lATTO RN EY Patented Aug. 8, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE EXTENSION SHOE FOR LADDER LEGS Vincent DeStefano, Union City, N. J.

Application May 1, 1948, Serial No. 24,553

(Cl. 22S-453) 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to an extension-shoe for ladder legs.

In many cases it is necessary for 'painters and other Workmen to erectladders `upon uneven sur faces, such as steep hillsides, and it is usualVfor the 'workman to equalize the length thereof by placing checks underone of the two legs so as to permit the ladder to be placed andmaintained in an upright or vertical position. This prac. tice, however,is dangerous and various proposals have heretofore been made toeliminate or avoid such `use of `chocks and to compensate for the unevensurfaces by the fastening on the ladder 'legs of V'extension members ofvarious types, al1 of which are unsatisfactory in one way or another.

One of the objects of this invention is to pro-V vide a novelextension-shoe which is adapted 4quickly upon erection of the ladder tobe automatically adjustable to fill the space beneath a ladder rail orleg which is required to compensate for the uneven surface on which the`ladder is molinted.

Another object of my invention comprises the provision `of anextension-shoe With novel fastoning means for mounting and securelyfastening it onta ladder leg to enable Athe shoe to be easily andinstantly applied `to and removed rfrom the lower end portion of veitherone of the legs or rails of the ladder.

Another object of my invention 'is to 'provide an extension shoe withunitary quickeiastening means which is capable of securelywfastening theshoe to the .ladder Without the` use` of bolts and like fasteningelements, andvwhich when so fas tened to a ladder leg may be positively,effectively and safely adjusted to extend `and lengthen said leg -inorder to enable the ladder to be firmly `and securely positioned andheld in a vertically-disposed upright position and thus to avoid and iprevent any movement, falling or inclining of the ladder during use whenmounted as aforesaid on suc-h uneven surfaces.

Another object of my invention is to provide `an adjustable extensionshoe for `lad-der rlegs of the character specified which, upon erectionof the ladder, may be readily 4and easily manpu lated to provideadjustment of the `extension to firm contact with an `uneven surta'ce onwhich the ladder is being mounted.

Another object of 'my `inventionpis in an adjusta-ble extension shoe forladder legs to combine with a relatively stationary member proffen ablycomprising a tubolari sleeve Aadapted 'to embrace thetlowereportlonorthelegvorrail ci a ladder, a unitary rung-embracing fastening devicewhich extends at a right angle to said sleeve member and is adapted toembrace and be locked to a portion of the first rung of the ladder, thusproviding for the secure fastening of said stationary sleeve to theladder leg embraced thereby 'and also to combine with said stationarysleeve member an extensible element, which preferably comprises atelescoping tube member adapted automatically to drop to the ground andto compensate by immediate extension for the degree of nnevenness of theterrain or ground upon which the ladder is being mounted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterspecified in which `the extensible member is maintained in interengagingposition by a rack and pawl mechanism having the teeth inclineddownwardly to permit im.- mediate automatic movement and compensationupon release of the pawl, and to produce an interlocking engagement ofsaid pawl with Said teeth by the provision of an operating elementhaving suiiicient leverage and strength to cause retention of the partsin such a given initial position 'as tc permit ready handling of theladder` with the device in place thereon but to enable quick auto-maticadjustment of the extension member to the required degree. i

Still another object of my invention is to produce a device of thecharacter specified embodying a pair of telescopic tubular leg-embracingmembers having rack and pawl connection, combined with means forfastening one of said members and additional means for controlling saidrack 'and pawl connection to permit instantan'eo'us automatic extensionor collapsing.

`nother object of my invention is to provide, in combination with` apair of telescopic tubular members, a cylindrical rung fastening sleevehaving an openable hinged top for ready and immeL dia-te connection withthe rung of the ladder Without the use `of bolts or like `fasteningdevices.

"ormance of the functions and the accomplish 'mentor the results hereincontemplated, `and comprises in one of its adaptations the species orpreferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a ladder showing my adjustableextension shoe member fastened to one of the legs thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 2--2 of Fig. l, lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2 as viewed fromthe line 1 -ll of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentof my invention, the extension shoe for ladder legs illustratedcomprises a pair of telescopic tubes which in telescoped condition areadapted to be slid or moved upwardly on either one or the other of thelower leg-sections 3a of a workmans ladder 3. The telescoping tubescomprise an inner-tube member I adapted to be xedly connected orfastened to one of the lower ladder-sections and an outer tube member 2carried by the inner tube-member and having a readily-releasable rackand pawl connection therewith whereby manual release of the saidconnection will cause an automatic dropping by gravity of the outermember 2 and a. consequent extension of the shoe, the bottom portion 2aof which will thereupon Contact with the ground or terrain on which theladder 3 is being erected.

My preferred means for fastening the member I to the ladder section 3acomprises a laterally projecting cylindrical sleeve 5 xedly carried bythe member I and having an openable hinged cover or top E adapted to beswung into open position when the complete device is moved upwardly onthe leg 3, whereupon it will Contact with the first rung 'I and upon aclosing of the hinged cover or top 6 will engage and embrace saidlowermost rung 'l of the ladder 3, as shown more particularly in Figs. iand 3. As illustrated, the hinged top 6 is opened as illustrated indotted lines in Fig. 2 during the connecting or attaching movement andthen is swung into closed position over the inner section of the rung 1,whereupon a locking pin 8 is inserted into aligned grooves 9, 3a at theedges of the top and body portion of the sleeve 5. This swinging of thehinged cover or top E into closed position and the placing of thelocking pin 8 into the grooves 9, @a securely fastens the entire devicein place on the ladder.

The tube members I and 2 are preferably rectangular in cross-section tont the ladder-leg and the outer member 2 ts closely over the innermember I and the relatively stationary innertube member I carries on itsrear face a vertically-disposed toothed rack Iii, while the outertubemember 2 is provided at its upper end with a pivoted pawl II. As shown,the pawl II is pivoted on a pivot M and is formed integrally with amounting frame I2 which extends for- Wardly to the front end of theladder and is provided with an operating handle I3. The pivot I4 ismounted in mounting ways I5 and the mounting frame and integral handleare pivotally mounted on said pivot I4.

The rack I has teeth Illa that incline downwardly and are preferablyslightly undercut while the pawl II is upwardly-inclined and has anincline-engaging surface provided with an inclined pitch that fits thedownwardly inclined 4 surface of the rack teeth while the top surface ofthe pawl which contacts with the bottom of the undercut teeth preferablyis slightly inclined to fit the undercut surface of said teeth.

The pivot I4, as shown, is mounted in the frame I2 which extendsoutwardly to the front face of the member 2 in substantial parallelismto the upper edge of said member 2 and said pivot I4 extends parallel toand spaced from the rack so that the pawl il projectsupwardlysandinwardly at an acute angle to the pivot I4 to provide thetooth-contacting inclination above specied.

The pawl-mounting frame I2 and handle are f heavy enough normally tokeep the pawl II in interlocking engagement with the toothed rack IG.When, however, it is desired to extend the device to compensate for anuneven ground surface on which the ladder is to be erected, the handleI3 is lifted and the outer tube 2 instantly slides downwardly by gravityto a suitable position in contact with the ground and thus `to close thespace between the bottom of the ladderleg on which the device is mountedand the ground.v The mounting frame is normally held by gravity inhorizontal position to press the pawl II against the teeth of thetoothed rack IG and thus to lock the two tubes in collapsed position,and when the handle is lifted, the mounting frame and pawl will causerelease of the pawl and the tube-member 2 will drop as aforesaid. Thenormal position of the mounting frame, pawl and rack will be clearlyseen in Figs. 2 and 5 and the released position will be seen in dottedlines in Fig. 2.

In the apparatus shown, the bottom of the lower tube is provided with asemicircular band of saw teeth which are intended to bite into theground and assist in prevention of slipping of the ladder. It will beseen that my relativelymovable telescoping tubes provide forgravityactuation to enable instantaneous adjustment, and that thecylindrical rung-fastening sleeve having an openable hinged top forconnection to a rung 'I provides a quick, simple and integral fasteningmeans for the device.

IThese telescoping tubes are preferably of less length than theladder-leg sections to which they are applied so as to enable more readyhandling of the ladder during erection, but the extension of the movablemember causes the ladder leg to be lengthened much beyond the legsection to which it is applied, and may thus be used to compensate forabruptly sloping ground, as for example when a painter or workman ispainting a house on a steep hillside.

In operation, when a workman is working on a hillside, the ladder withmy extension shoe mounted thereon will be moved to the site of 'erectionand placed into a proper straight position relatively to the building orother structure which isbeing worked upon. Upon erection in suchposition, an upward movement of the handle I3, which may be effected bythe foot of the user, will release the Ipawl carried by the outer memberfromthe rack on the inner member and vcause thev outer member to drop bygravity and to contact the low ground portion and thus to automaticallycompensate for the ground-drop or difference required in length of theextension leg to reach such ground. Should adjustment be necessary, thismay be readily accomplished by manipulation of the said handle.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. An extension` shoe for ladder-legs. comprising inner and outermembers, said inner member having unitarily connected thereto alaterally projecting rung-engaging sleeve adapted to embrace a portionof the ladder rung and composed of a body-portion and openable hingedcover, said body portion and cover having interconnectable means forfastening said cover to said body portion to enclose said rung portionand to fasten said sleeve and extension shoe to the ladder, and meansfor extending the outer member in relation to said inner member.

2. An extension shoe for ladder-legs comprising a pair of telescopingtubes adapted to t over the ladder-leg section below the bottom rungthereof, means for fastening the inner telescoping tube to the ladderand releasable means comprising a toothed rack on one member and a pawlon the other member mounted to engage said rack and to be releasabletherefrom to cause the dropping of the outer member by gravity, saidrack being provided with teeth inclined downwardly and outwardly and thepaWl being pivotally mounted in spaced parallel relationship to saidrack to extend upwardly at an angle substantially similar to theinclination of the teeth of the rack and to engage said teeth at itstip, said pawl being formed integrally with a pivot-mounting frameextending around the outer member of the extension shoe and having atsaid opposite face an operating handle, said frame and handle havingsuilicient weight to retain said pawl in normal engagement with theteeth of the rack and to permit ready manipulation for release of thepawl therefrom.

VINCENT DE STEFANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Q0 Number Name Date 971,997 Henning Oct. 4, 19102,458,076 Houston T--- Jan. 4, 1949

